tutor||ponyboy curtis ✓

19

Jacqueline

"You comin' to the protest?" I arched an eyebrow at Dustin.

"What protest?" I asked him, he shrugged.

"Pastor Jacobson's kids are schedulin' one, gonna march down the street in front of the polling places on Tuesday." I nodded,

"Yeah I'll come, what's it for?" I asked.

"Rumors that they ain't gonna let black people vote, we're gonna march in front of there in protest." I nodded,

"Yeah I'll come." I smiled. My parents would let me go, it'd take some convincing, but if they'd put me in a white school then they'd let me go to a march.

"Alright it's at 2, want me to pick you up?"

***

I was getting ready for the march in Susan's room, putting on my Sunday best like the Jacobson kids told us to. Said we can't be dressed like heathens or it'll be easier for the newspaper to paint us in a bad light. Not like they weren't going to already.

"Should I wear tights?" Susan asked me, smoothing out her light blue dress. I shook my head,

"Don't, they'll rip too easily, what if somebody pushes you over or somethin'?" she nodded,

"Yeah you're right." she muttered. I looked back at my own reflection in her mirror, looking from my toes to my face. Black Mary Jane's, white knee high's, a light yellow conservative dress and pearls dawning my neck. I smiled softly and spun around,

"When's Dustin supposed to be here?" I asked her, she shrugged.

"1:30, he should be here any minute." she told me. I sat down next to her on her bed, 

"Does he got the signs we made?" I asked, she nodded.

"Mhm, he said he was bringin' 'em."  we talked about this and that for a little while longer until we heard the car horn of Dustin's old pick up. We walked downstairs together and quickly made our way out to his car. 

"Hey ladies." Dustin winked playfully. I chuckled hitting him upside the head as Susan and I climbed in. 

"Where are the signs?" Susan questioned, looking on the floor board.

"In the back chill out,"

***

Dustin parked in the Church parking lot and the three of us got out. We made our way to the back of his truck,

"Which one do you want?" I looked at the signs and chose the one with

American Citizens=American Votes
END SEGREGATION 

It was on a foam poster board written with red sharpie. It was also the only one with a handle, we stuck two rulers together and attached them to the back.

"Where we meetin' up at?" Susan asked, tossing her sign between her hands as Dustin stuffed his keys in the front pocket of his slacks.

"By the corner store, that's what Teddy told me." Dustin answered. Soon we were walking down the sidewalk to Danny's Corner Store. As we walked I felt eyes on us, non friendly eyes. Some were teenagers just messin' around outside, but fell quiet when they saw us walk past. Others were adults who were smiling, chit chatting until their eyes fell upon us. Then their cheery faces twisted into stone cold hatred. I brushed it off, big deal, happens all the time.

The three of us eventually made it to where the other black teenagers were talking and standing around, signs in almost every hand and if they didn't have one they were asking if anyone had an extra. There were a handful of non-black kids, Valeria Lopez, Jessica Nguyen, Ali Almadi, and Skipper Le were there too along with a couple other hispanic guys I didn't know the names of. But for the most part it was black people only, but what'd I expect? No white kid wants to put there name on the line for something that doesn't pertain to them.

"There you are, alright c'mon." Teddy muttered coming over to us, Teddy didn't have an ounce of patience in him. If there was something he hated more than his father it was waiting.

"Alright we ready?" Heidi asked, coming over to us. Heidi was a pretty girl, captain of our old schools cheer team. I don't think she's very level headed though, there was a rumor that she was going out with Dallas Winston a while back and from what I've heard about him, I never wanna meet the guy. Teddy nodded to her and soon enough we were walking down the street, our signs held high.

"What're they doin'?" I heard someone yell from the sidewalk. Usually I would've thought twice about this whole thing, seein' as white people don't mind using there second amendment right, but there were so many of us. I don't know who Teddy had relations with, but there were probably 250 melanated teenagers walking down the street.

"Get off the damn road!" a woman cried, I kept my eyes away from the shouters.

Ponyboy

"Look at them!" I glanced over to where Steve was pointing, a group of kids were walking down the street, coming near the DX. Black kids. The whole gang besides Darry was outside the DX today, bored out of our minds. Not like anyone was coming inside of it either, so Steve and Soda stood with us too.  I shrugged,

"Big deal, they ain't doin' nothin'." I said, he scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Ain't doin' nothin'? They need to learn there damn place." he muttered, I rolled my eyes and so did Soda.

"Cool it man, they aren't scuffing up your precious cars now are they?" Dallas asked, gesturing to them. Steve rolled his eyes and went inside, I'm glad he did. Can't stand him, especially when he's talking about other people like animals, makes him sound like a socs. Not to mention, Jacqueline was probably in there with them.

"Bet none of y'all will go march with 'em," Two Bit joked, Sodapop chuckled.

"I'll do it," Sodapop shrugged, like it was no big deal. Two Bit arched an eyebrow as they came closer.

"Will not." Two Bit chuckled, not believing for one minute that Sodapop would do it. I didn't either, Sodapop was crazy, but he wasn't that crazy.

"Will so, I'll do it if one of y'all will do it with me." he said and maybe it was because I wanted to see him actually do it, or maybe it was 'cause I thought of Jacqueline, but now Soda and I were making our way over to the group.

Jacqueline

"Holy shit," Susan muttered,

"What?" I whispered, directing my gaze from the back of Mary Martha's head to her.

"Look!" she said, pointing to the left of our crowd. I stood on my tip toes as I walked and the sight I saw would send me to a mental institute if I told somebody else about it. Two white kids were merging into our group.

"Ponyboy?" I muttered, I got a better look and it was no other than Ponyboy, my secret boyfriend.

"Holy shit what's mister tutor doin' here?" Susan whispered quietly, giggling, I shrugged. I turned my head right back to Mary Martha's head. I'd ask him what he was doin' later when everybody wasn't around.

"You think he really cares 'bout the polls?" she asked me,

"I think he's goin' to get shunned by every white kid in town if anybody sees him." I muttered,

"Damn that brother of his." Susan mumbled, whistling. 

"Face like that? He belongs on television or somethin'." I chuckled a bit,

"Shoot and you say I'm caught up in white boys."

"Oh shut up."

authors note:
sorry that this took so long to make and i'm also sorry if this is poorly edited, i want to get it out asap :)